*Hello! Thank you everyone for reading! I hope you enjoy this chapter. I am trying to update at least once a week but will update more if i can.*

Forgiveness

The day went by in a blur, both of us concentrating on the task before us. We hunted like our lives depended on it, it was the only way we knew how. The animals didn't stand a chance. By the end we had caught a dozen or so squirrels between us and two turkeys. Greasy Sae would be happy.

Gale set up a couple of traps, telling me to come and check on them in the coming days and to give them to Greasy Sae as a gift from him. I told him I would and made a mental note where each trap was so I wouldn't forget them.

Hunting in the woods with Gale was just like old times, if it wasn't for the burns snaking up my arms as a reminder I'd have thought we had transported back in time to before the uprising. I saw some berries in a bush and grabbed a handful, enjoying the sweet taste as they popped in my mouth. Then a memory flashed in my head. Throwing the berry in the air for Gale to catch in his mouth before the first games. 'May the odds be ever in your favour.'

And they were in my favour after all.

Looking up, Gale's eyes were on me, as if he was thinking of the same thing. I threw one up in the air towards him, his eyes followed it, then at the last second he caught it in his mouth.

The air grew thick in the silence that hung around us. He swallowed the berry. "I have to tell you something." He said quickly, it came out in a jumble like he had to force the words out.

"Hmm…?"

"I'm getting married."

I lowered the berries from my mouth, no longer feeling hungry I let them drop to the floor. Married? Gale? For some reason it felt strange that he was marrying someone that wasn't me. I wasn't jealous, I was in love with Peeta and was happy with my life now. But it did feel strange knowing he had moved on too.

"Wow, uh, that's great Gale. Congratulations." I said, sounding as enthusiastic as I could manage. "Who's the lucky lady?"

He looked away from me and scratched behind his head, nervous. "Johanna."

I tried to stop my mouth from falling open. "Johanna Mason?" I asked. He nodded, confirming it.

What? When and how did this happen?

"I thought she 'terrified' you." I said remembering in the hospital back at district 13 when she flirted with him. The look of horror on his face.

He smiled warmly at the memory. "I don't know, she just kind of grew on me I guess." He paused. It made me think of Peeta and my feelings towards him. "She came to District 2 not long after I did. We started talking and hanging out and things just grew from there. Now we wanted to come back home, well my home, she doesn't feel any attachment to District 7 anymore. But my mother and brothers and sisters are here and I'd like to be near them." He studied me carefully as he spoke. "Would that bother you? Me being here?"

Would it bother me?

I hadn't really considered him being here permanently. It was strange seeing him. The pain of the past heavy on my heart as I stared at him before me. But we also had a lot of good memories. Being here in these woods with him was the only thing I ever looked forward to for many years. I honestly don't know how I feel about him moving back here for good.

But even if it did bother me, to see him every day. Who was I to tell him to stay away from here? Distract 12 doesn't belong to me.

"Of course not Gale. This is your home as much as mine. You don't have to ask my permission to be here." I paused, "It would be nice to have my old hunting partner back as well." I teased and smiled at him. "You and Johanna both deserve to be happy." Watching him before me, smiling softly, his eyes far away and full of love as he thought of her made my heart warm. I walked to him, and embraced him again. "When is the big day?"

"Next week. We'd love to have it here, do a proper District 12 wedding. Would you come?"

I nodded eagerly, "I'd love to come."

"And Peeta, bring Peeta too." He said. So he did know about us. I wonder how he found out. "I guess he grew on you too huh?"

I nodded slowly, "I think he was always there, I just didn't realise it."

We hunted the day away, and as the sun was close to setting we parted ways. He gave me his turkey to give to Greasy Sae then he headed off to his mothers. He said she was so excited for the wedding. It was nice that they all had something to look forward to for a change.

After dropping food off at Greasy Sae i headed back through town, seeing the bakery shut i then walked home. Peeta's house, I should say our house, was cool compared to the heat outside. He was sitting in the living room, curled up in the plush gray chair scribbling away in his art book. He must have been miles away, because he didn't look up as i neared him, he barely flinched when i bent over and kissed his forehead.

"Hi." I greeted into his hair, smelling the dough and flour from the bakery still on his skin.

He glanced up at me through his dark eyelashes, and slowly closed his art book, setting it down on the table next to the chair. "How was your day?" He asked, pulling me onto his lap. I curled up into him, running my hand through his hair. I could stay like this forever.

"I saw Gale." I paused to watch his reaction. His eyes widened but he didn't say anything. "He's moving back home and he's getting married next week."

Peeta's eyes widened even more at that, "Wow, really?" He paused, "How do you feel about that?"

I frowned, "Fine, I'm happy for him. Why?"

He gave a small shrug, his hand running up and down my arm, "I just know you used to have feelings for him, and maybe feel a bit upset about it."

I shook my head, "No, not upset. It's strange, but everything is strange now don't you think?"

He nodded and brushed a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "Do we know his bride to be?"

I nodded. "Johanna Mason."

His breath got caught in his throat at the mention of Johanna. This seemed to concern him, he gently moved me off him and stood up. "Johanna?" He asked, sounding confused. The Hijacking does this to him, sometimes he forgets who people are.

"Yes, you know Johanna. She won the 71st Hunger Games. She's from district 7. She was captured with-." I stopped myself before I could continue.

"She was captured by the Capitol with me," He finished my sentence as he moved into the kitchen. His breathing quickened, becoming jagged and heavy. "Her screams, I can hear her screams." His voice didn't sound like his, it was hollow and deep. He gripped hard onto the kitchen counter. I came up behind him and wrapped my arms around him, squeezing him tight.

"You're not there anymore Peeta, you're here with me. You're safe." I tried to make my voice gentle and soothing. But it was hard to do that when you felt so scared of losing him.

"Her screams," he continued, "What are they doing to her?" His body was trembling against mine as he tried to fight the thoughts away

"Peeta, please come back to me." I breathed into his back

He spun around so fast I barely had time to think. He then gripped my wrists hard, pinning me to the wall behind us. "You," He spat, "You're the reason for her screams. For my screams."

His nails dug into my flesh, it burned but I tried to ignore it. "Peeta, please stop. You're not there anymore, you're here with me." I tried to sound as softly as I could, staring into his dark clouded eyes. "What's your name?" I asked, trying to distract him.

He took a long time to answer, his eyes searching mine. "Peeta Mellark." He said eventually through gritted teeth.

"And where are you from?"

"District 12."

"Good, good. And what's your favorite colour?"

His grip on my wrists loosened slightly, enough to stop the burning but not enough to let me go. He frowned at this question. "Orange, you told me it was orange."

"No, remember on the train. You told me it was orange."

He nodded slowly, remembering the train ride. "Yes, not like Effie's wig, but like a sunset."

I swallowed, "Yeah, that's it."

"Yours is green, isn't it?" He asked, his voice softer now. His eyes weren't so dark and the evilness drained from them. It has been a long time since he had a turn like this. I hadn't thought how much a trigger Johanna would be to him.

I nodded. His grip was soft now, his hands sliding into mine instead of pinning me to the wall. As his eyes searched mine he suddenly leaned in, and kissed me fiercely. I kissed him back just as hard, trying to remove all the pain from inside him. We both parted a little breathless.

"You love me, real or not real." He asked between breaths.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, squeezing him tight to me. "Real."

Always real.

*Thank you again for reading. What do you think will happen now that just mentioning Johanna is a trigger for Peeta? Can he go to the wedding with Katniss?*